An Osun State Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, the capital, has remanded in prison custody one Akinloye Saheed, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, for allegedly posting false information on Facebook against the government of the state.
Akinloye, 32, was accused of defamation, false information, instilling fear and inciting the people against the Osun State Government.
He was said to have committed all the offences on April 11, 2020 in Osogbo.
The prosecution team led by Acting Solicitor-General of the state, Mr Dapo Adeniji, appeared alongside Moses Faremi, Biodun Badiora, Kemi Bello and Oyedele Akintayo.
According to the charge sheet presented before the court, Akinloye was accused of posting information he knew was false in order to incite members of the public against the state government.
The charge reads, “That you Akinloye Saheed ‘m’ on 11th day of April, 2020 at 11:05pm at Osogbo did interfere with an executive order of the Osun State Government when you published on your Facebook page that ‘When I accused Osun Government of importing COVID-19 patients into the state just to access fund from the FG, many didn’t believe. The said imported patients are now negative. APC, you are not doing well.’
“The information you know to be false and an intent to incite members of the public against the Osun State Government.”
He contended that the offence committed by Akinloye contravened section 61, 374, 59(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002 and section 24 of the (Cyber Crime Prohibition Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
However, Akinloye pleaded not guilty to the four-count charges preferred against him.
Counsel to the defendant, Bamidele Ajibade, made an oral application for bail on behalf of his client, saying that he won’t jump bail if granted.
“Akinloye Saheed was arrested by police and had been granted administrative bail in police station.
“He has been going to the police station ever since then. This is an attestation that if he is granted bail, he won’t jump bail.
“I urge the court to admit my client to bail on the most liberal terms. He has reliable sureties to stand for him and he won’t jump bail,” he said.
But Adeniji opposed the bail application by the defence counsel and urged the court to remand the accused in a correctional centre.
The Chief Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, ordered that the accused person be remanded in a correctional facility pending when the defence counsel will file the formal application for his bail.
He adjourned the case until May 13, 2020 for continuation.
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